1831 Belgian general election


General elections were held in Belgium on 29 August 1831. They were the first elections to the new bicameral parliament created by the constitution adopted in February 1831.
In the Senate elections Catholics won 31 seats and Liberals four. Voter turnout was 62.2%, although only 46,000 people were eligible to vote.
On 8 September 1831, King Leopold I of Belgium opened the 1831–1832 parliamentary session, the first ever of the Belgian Parliament.

Electoral system

The electoral system was defined in the 1831 constitution and the electoral law of 3 March 1831. The 102 members of the Chamber of Representatives and 51 members of the Senate were elected by absolute majority in 44 electoral districts. Each district had between one and seven Representatives and one to three Senators; some were elected by joint or alternating districts.
Eligibility vote was restricted to men aged 25 or older who held Belgian nationality either through birth or through grand naturalisation, and who paid a cens fixed by the electoral law. The cens differentiated depending on the place of residence.

Constituencies

The 44 constituencies elected 102 representatives and appointed 51 senators as follows.
ProvinceConstituencyRepresentativesSenators
Province of Antwerp
Antwerp42
Province of Antwerp
Mechelen31
Province of Antwerp
Turnhout21
Province of Brabant
Brussels73.5
Province of Brabant
Nivelles31.5
Province of Brabant
Leuven42
Province of West Flanders
Bruges31
Province of West Flanders
Ypres21.5
Province of West Flanders
Kortrijk32
Province of West Flanders
Tielt21
Province of West Flanders
Roeselare21
Province of West Flanders
Veurne11.5
Province of West Flanders
Ostend11.5
Province of West Flanders
Diksmuide11.5
Province of East Flanders
Ghent63
Province of East Flanders
Aalst32
Province of East Flanders
Sint-Niklaas31
Province of East Flanders
Oudenaarde31
Province of East Flanders
Dendermonde21
Province of East Flanders
Eeklo11
Province of Hainaut
Mons31.5
Province of Hainaut
Tournai41.5
Province of Hainaut
Charleroi2.51
Province of Hainaut
Thuin1.51
Province of Hainaut
Soignies21
Province of Hainaut
Ath21
Province of Liège
Liège4.52
Province of Liège
Huy1.51
Province of Liège
Verviers21
Province of Liège
Waremme11
Province of Limburg
Maastricht3.52
Province of Limburg
Hasselt2.51
Province of Limburg
Roermond31
Province of Luxembourg
Bastogne11.5
Province of Luxembourg
Marche11.5
Province of Luxembourg
Neufchâteau11.5
Province of Luxembourg
Virton11.5
Province of Luxembourg
Diekirch11.5
Province of Luxembourg
Grevenmacher11.5
Province of Luxembourg
Arlon11.5
Province of Luxembourg
Luxembourg11
Province of Namur
Namur31.5
Province of Namur
Philippeville10.5
Province of Namur
Dinant11

Results

Senate